Friends Church Calgary Weekly Message

Through this series, we're taking an honest look at the Bible. So far, we've set aside our assumptions and begun seeing it as a Wisdom text rather than an owner's manual—one that honors its Ancient, Ambiguous, and Diverse origins. This week, we'll focus on the Bible's Diversity and explore a key question: what does it really mean for the Bible to be “inspired by God”? Does the Bible claim that for itself? And if not, how might that change how we see and value it in our lives?Join us this week as we continue reconstructing our understandings of the Bible.Donate to Socks for People Experiencing Homelessness Donate to Friends ChurchTo donate to this podcast and support the making of more of these please visit https://friendschurch.ca/podcast

Many of us grew up in faith traditions that took the Bible's rules very seriously. For some, breaking one meant rejection or judgment — sometimes even exile from family or community. Some biblical laws still seem to make deep sense today. Others… not so much.So how do we tell the difference in 2025? Can we really choose which spiritual laws still apply?Join us this Sunday as we wrestle with these honest questions and explore what wise, compassionate faith looks like in our world today.Bring a friend — you won't want to miss this one.Donate to Socks for People Experiencing Homelessness Donate to Friends ChurchTo donate to this podcast and support the making of more of these please visit https://friendschurch.ca/podcast

Many pick up the Bible expecting a rulebook or instruction manual for life—only to be puzzled by its ancient language, strange stories, and even some contradictions.This week at Friends, we're exploring why this “Instruction Manual” expectation of the Bible can create problems. Instead, we want to show you a way of using it that actually works: not by giving us ready-made answers, but by training us to read the moments we're in to discern real wisdom for today.Donate to Socks for People Experiencing Homelessness Donate to Friends ChurchTo donate to this podcast and support the making of more of these please visit https://friendschurch.ca/podcast

The Bible has been called many things:The Word of God.Inspired scripture.A holy book.An owner's manual for life.A roadmap.A moral compass.A revelation of Jesus Christ.God's self-disclosure.But these are all ideas—metaphors.So what is the Bible, physically?Where did it come from?What is it made of?How did it become the book we hold today?This week we launch a new series: The Bible: Much Assembly Required. We'll start by unpacking what the Bible actually is, so we can begin building (or rebuilding) a vision of it that has the power to change lives.Join us as we set the stage for a fresh, exciting conversation about the Bible.To donate to this podcast and support the making of more of these please visit https://friendschurch.ca/podcast

At Friends Church, our mission is simple: to inspire us to Take Water to our world. One way we can Take Water is to Love our Neighbours in ways that truly make life better for them and us.That's easy when people look, think, and live like us. But most of the world doesn't. And if we're going to love our neighbours well, we need to know them—what they need, what they value, and what love looks like to them.This Sunday we are going to meet a member of our community that is Trans and identifies as Non-binary meaning they might identify as one of the 2 main genders - male or female - but most often don't identify with either.We want to get to known their unique experience so we can learn to love them, and many like them, more skillfully.Join us this week for a mind opening perspective on the world from someone who transitioned while staying married. Its a love story on so many levels.Bring a friend and join us in the Gym this Sunday.To donate to this podcast and support the making of more of these please visit https://friendschurch.ca/podcast

Speaker: Jeff Jarvis Over the years, I've heard countless explanations of spirituality—and honestly, I've become a bit skeptical when the word is thrown around too loosely. When it can mean anything, it starts to feel like it means nothing.At Friends Church, we believe spirituality should be more than a vague idea. We're passionate about what we call healthy spirituality—a way of living that actually refreshes your soul and brings life to the world around you, like water soaking into dry ground. It's not just about feeling better; it's connected to something bigger, deeper, and more meaningful in our world.This Sunday, I want to unpack where this idea of healthy spirituality comes from—and how you can start cultivating it in your own life.Bring a friend and join us in the Gym this Sunday.To donate to this podcast and support the making of more of these please visit https://friendschurch.ca/podcast

Speaker: Vince KlassenDoes it feel like our world is more divided than ever? Every conversation, every headline, every debate seems charged—like it's no longer just about differences, but about winning or losing. One group against another. Us versus them.  A World DividedIt leaves us wondering: is this just the way things are now? Or is there a way back to feeling like we're in this together again?At Friends Church, we don't believe division is disappearing anytime soon. But we do believe there's a better way to live in the midst of it—one that requires spiritual presence, wisdom, and skill.This week we're launching a 2-part series: A Life With Purpose. Together, we'll explore how to navigate the fractures around us without losing our center—and even become a healing presence in the process.Don't miss this opportunity to start the fall season with clarity, courage, and hope.See you at the Spiritual Gym!To donate to this podcast and support the making of more of these please visit https://friendschurch.ca/podcast

Speakers: Vince Klassen Does it feel like our world is more divided than ever? Every conversation, every headline, every debate seems charged—like it's no longer just about differences, but about...

Speakers: Jeff Jarvis and Mike Hanson At Friends Church, our mission is simple: to inspire you to Take Water to your World. “Taking Water” can look different in each of our lives. Sometimes...

Speakers: Jeff Jarvis What happens when you spend large amounts of time and effort chasing the approval of others but somehow lose parts of yourself in the process? This weekend,...

Speakers: Vince Klassen I read a quote recently: “Mother: One person who does the work of twenty—for free.” For many, this couldn't be more true. From carrying us for nine...

Speakers: Vince Klassen We've all had them—relationships that just aren't great. Maybe one part works, but the rest feels heavy, even toxic. So when is it okay to let go?...

Speakers: David Hill Here are moments when life leaves us feeling empty. We chased education, expecting a better career, only to end up disillusioned. We married believing it would bring...

Speakers: Jeff Jarvis Last week, World No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler surprised many when he confessed that, even after 17 PGA wins and $90 million in prize money, his success...

Speakers: Vince Klassen It always starts with a moment—the tension between what I need and what They need. Whether it's a parent with a child, a stranger at Stampede, or...

Speakers: Vince Klassen Recently, someone sat me down and simply said, “I'm lonely.” They work from home and barely see anyone in person. Another just ended a relationship and now...

Speakers: Jeff Jarvis “Life is never made unbearable by circumstances, but only by lack of meaning and purpose.” — Viktor Frankl A deeper sense of meaning and purpose can feel...

Speakers: Jeff Jarvis Life can get noisy. Fast. Confusing. Every day, decisions with serious consequences get made, with some returning later to haunt us. Wouldn't it be great to have...

Speakers: Vince Klassen What does Jesus have to do with politics? More than we often admit. In a world where political talk tears us apart, we're diving in—feet first—to ask:...

Speakers: Vince Klassen Life moves fast—and not always for the wrong reasons. Kids' sports ramp up. A work project lands unexpectedly. School deadlines pile on. Before we know it, we're...

Speakers: Jeff Jarvis Despite having lived over 2000 years ago, this man named Jesus continues to be one of the most inspirational and influential humans to have walked the earth....

Speakers: Vince Klassen Tariffs. Inflation. Recession. Soaring prices—eggs, gas, housing, groceries. The financial hits just keep coming. It feels heavier than years past. Are we prepared for where this is...

Speakers: Jeff Jarvis Why is it that some people always seem to fixate on what may be wrong, even when life may be going well? When was the last time...

Speakers: Vince Klassen Do we see the world as it truly is—or through a lens that distorts it? And if our perception is shaped, how does that alter the way...

Speakers: Jeff Jarvis Have your feelings ever led you astray? Every day we can find ourselves in situations that stir up strong emotions within us that cause us to react: Screaming,...

Speakers: Vince Klassen Why do we so often see complex, nuanced issues as simple? Black or White Yes or No Us versus Them I notice it in myself—especially when I'm...

In a time of political division, financial uncertainty, and nonstop headlines, it's easy to swing between extremes—panicking that everything is falling apart, or minimizing it all just to cope. But...

Speakers: Vince Klassen & Jeff JarvisCelebrate the powerful new life that emerges when we open ourselves to the divine wisdom speaking within. What is it saying to you—and are you...

Speakers: Jeff Jarvis & Mexico Team   A few weeks ago, a dedicated team from Friends Church—students, parents, and adults—embarked on a life-changing journey to Tijuana, Mexico. Together, they partnered...

Speakers: Vince Klassen & Kyla Anderson Have you ever noticed that some of the most religious people can also be the most judgmental, unkind, or even cruel? Scroll through the comments...

Speakers: Vince Klassen What if our spiritual practices and ideals are stopping us from doing the work to really heal? Richard Schwartz, the founder of Internal Family Systems, which we...

Speakers: Vince Klassen As we begin to explore the Parts within us—Exiles carrying past pain and Protectors keeping that pain at bay—we start to see patterns. We notice recurring reactions,...

Speakers: Vince Klassen & Dayna Mullen There are moments in life when our Eyes are truly Opened—when we see what we've been missing and gain a fresh, healthier perspective. Our...

Speakers: Jeff Jarvis Have you ever been surprised by your own reaction to something—fine one moment, then suddenly overwhelmed? Most of us struggle to explain what's happening inside when we...

Speakers: Jeff Jarvis One Sunday, a while back, I shared the story of Nicholas Winton, the man responsible for saving the lives of 669 children from the horrors of the holocaust....

Speakers: Jeff JarvisOne Sunday, a while back, I shared the story of Nicholas Winton, the man responsible for saving the lives of 669 children from the horrors of the holocaust. I...

Speakers: Vince Klassen & Gerry Smiley It's easy to talk about prayer and conceptions of God from a place of health, but what about when you're on the edge of...

Speaker: Vince Klassen As we expand our understanding of the word prayer, we begin to see it not just as a quiet wish or whispered plea to a superbeing up in...

Speaker: Vince Klassen As we expand our understanding of the word prayer, we begin to see it not just as a quiet wish or whispered plea to a superbeing up in...

Speakers: Jeff Jarvis Prayer is often seen as simply making requests to a higher power in the hope that they'll intervene on our behalf. Last week, we challenged this view...

Speakers: Vince Klassen This week, we embark on a profound exploration of prayer—a practice that, for many, intertwines deeply with their understanding of God, the existence of suffering, the pursuit...

Speakers: Jeff Jarvis & Bryce Ever had a question for one of our pastors but didn't know how to ask it? Or maybe you were too scared because, let's face...

Speakers: Vince Klassen & Bryce Ever had a question for one of our pastors but didn't know how to ask it? Or maybe you were too scared because, let's face...

Speaker: Jeff Jarvis If you're growing, you're changing. It's true. Especially with the spiritual journey. Certain priorities, beliefs, perspectives, attitudes, that once served us well can begin to feel constraining...

Speaker: Vince Klassen “On this final Sunday before Christmas, let's explore how to cultivate our healthiest spiritual selves – so we can embrace the season with love, joy, and unshakable...

Speaker: Jeff Jarvis The ability to learn information and recall it on demand is a coveted skill, rewarded in almost every academic and vocational setting. It can make school a...

Speaker: Vince Klassen Sure, Sensei James says, ‘Don't be angry—it'll make your Christmas better.' Thanks for that groundbreaking insight (note the sarcasm)! We all know anger doesn't help—but the real...

Speaker: Trevor Dreher We're in the middle of our ‘Spiritual Ninja' series, where we're sharing the skillsets of ‘Spiritual Ninjas' so that we can all be better in our own...